There are conventional boat amusement rides that utilize a continuous waterway having a fixed and predetermined course and along which a plurality of passenger-carrying boats are buoyantly supported and propelled by water flowing in the waterway. Passengers generally board and leave the boats at a loading station, and the boats are stopped at the loading station for this purpose.
The water flow is typically provided by pumping water along the channels or troughs forming the waterway. To increase the excitement of the ride, it is also desirable to reverse the front and back orientation of the boat. Past efforts for reversing the orientation of the boat have involved turntables and similar mechanical means that have proven to be slow and inefficient. Such inefficiency decreases the number of passengers per unit time that can be handled by the ride and therefore increases the waiting time. Many passengers may forego the pleasure of a ride rather than wait in a long line to board a boat. Since ride capacity is a determinant of economic feasibility of the ride system, any increase is desirable.